Located at the end of Albania’s map on the Greek island of Corfu, Butrint holds the title of the first Albanian site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been a Greco-Roman colony throughout its long history.
Parts of the city were destroyed in the 5th century BC. Butrinite flourished in the Byzantine Empire before surviving for a short period under the rule of Venice. In the late Middle Ages, Butrint was plundered and abandoned by the Turks as the emergence of wetlands made displacement difficult.
Today, numerous archaeological ruins testify to this rich past. The stone hammer and shaft, dated to the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, are among the oldest objects excavated at the archaeological site.
Butrint is part of the 6th century BC written sources when the ancient Greek historian Hecate first mentioned the city in his work and wrote that Butrint was modeled on Troy. According to Hecate, Butrint’s original name, Butrotos, refers to a bull sacrificed by the Trojan prince Aeneas on his way to Dodona. Early in its history, Butrint was home to the Kaon tribes, which were later incorporated into the kingdom of Epirus.
The first deep excavations of Butrint and the surrounding area were carried out in 1926-1936 by the Italian archaeologist Luigi Ugolini. Focusing on Butrint and the nearby Greek settlement of Phoenix, Ugolini discovered a real treasure trove: a baptistery, basilica, public baths, a gymnasium, a gate, castle walls, a temple dedicated to Minerva, and many houses and buildings and sand statues fruitful history.
The Greek and Roman roots of Butrint are evident in the extraordinary objects found around the amphitheater: statues of Apollo, another goddess Butrint, portraits of Agrippina, the heads of Zeus and Libya, as well as many Latin and Greek inscriptions.
Some of the towers that were built during the Venetian period and with controlled access to the area have survived to this day. Nearby, visitors can also visit the triangular Vivar Castle, built by Ali Pash Tepelen, an Albanian Ottoman ruler in the early 19th century.